We arrived in Alpine, Texas, on April 6th, staying at the Lost Alaskan RV Park for 3 nights. We explored the town of Alpine, at 4,600 feet and perfectly situated between the Davis, Glass and Del Norte Mountains, its history goes back to the late 1800s. It was a town of tents for cattlemen, the town’s name was changed to Alpine from Murphyville on Feb. 3, 1888. It’s a quaint small town, with its tree-lined streets and university, Sul Ross State University established in 1920. While exploring the town we stopped in at The Holland Hotel for a beer, built during a mining boom and today, it helps to anchor a traditional downtown of early 20th century buildings. Alpine boasts a growing collection of colorful murals celebrating regional themes, decorating the walls of downtown businesses. We walked along historic Murphy Street, which has gone through a revitalization, visiting the shops along the way. The opening of Big Bend National Park in the 1940s further helped the town to grow, it is considered the gateway to Big Bend. Click on thumbnail to view image
The next day we drove to Marfa, Texas, founded as a railway water stop in the 1880s. The city limits are still bound on all sides by working cattle ranches, many still operated by their original descendants. Until the 1970s, Marfa was best known for the ghost lights and as the film location for James Dean’s final picture, GIANT, also starring Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor and Dennis Hopper. We visited the classically beautiful Hotel Paisano, which was the center of activity during the making of the movie. We passed by the Presidio County Courthouse, built in 1886, a climb to the cupola provides a 360-degree panoramic view of the Marfa Plateau, and nearby Davis Mountains. Click on thumbnail to view image
High in the Davis Mountains and surrounded by unspoiled vistas of the Chihuahuan Desert, the charming town of Fort Davis feels far removed from the rest of the world. It has the feel of a western frontier town, Fort Davis takes its name from the military post established there in 1854 along the San Antonio-El Paso Road. We visited the Fort Davis National Historic Site, home to four companies of the 9th US Cavalry, African-American soldiers who became known as “Buffalo Soldiers”. Fort Davis became a National Historic Site in 1961, and many of its buildings have been restored, making it one of the best surviving examples of a frontier military post in the Southwest. Click on thumbnail to view image
